Water sprinkler



Jllly 1932- J. K. HARFORD 1,365,906

WATER SPRINKLER Filed April 15, 1931 \immil L/UH/V KHAN/"0 0 v IInventor A llor ney Patented July 5, 1932 JOHN K. HARFORD, OF GLARKSTON,WASHINGTON WATER SPRINKLER Application filed April 15,

' My present invention relates to improvements :in water sprinklers ofthe fountain type and automatically operated for sprinkling lawns,gardens, and other places where r. the water is required. 'In theexemplified structure disclosed in the drawing, the sprinklers areemployed with a net work of underground water supply pipes, and thesprinklers are located at desirable points,

" substantially flush with the lawn, and mounted in housings providedtherefor. The housings are provided with lids or closures that preventaccess to the housings of toys, dbris, and any other foreign matter, andthe housings and lids are arranged with relation to the surface of thelawn in such manner as not to interfere with the lawn mower, and also topresent an inconspicuous appearance on the lawn. The sprinklers, whichare normally retracted in their housings, are projected to active oroperative position above the surface of the lawn, by hydraulic pressure,as the water is released from the supply pipe and passes through thesprinkler device. Thus the water in the net work of underground pipesmay be controlled by a single manually operated valve, and the releasedwater pressure opens the lids or closures of the housings and projectsthe sprinkler heads in order that they may perform their functions inthe nature of fountains. The water sprinkler is provided with aspring-operated device which becomes active, I when the hydraulicpressure is turned off, to retract the sprinkler head and close the lidsor closures for the housings. In the present invention the lids orclosures, arranged in a pair, are equipped in such manner that the ntwo-piece lid'will fly open, and the pair of lid elements or plates willswing, aided by gravity,'to open position, leaving the sprinkler headfree'to perform its required functions. L The invention consists, incertain novel combinations and arrangements of parts involving thesprinkler head, its housing and two-piece closure lid, as willhereinafter be more fully set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing I have il- 50 lustrated one complete exampleof the physi- 1931. Serial No. 530,290.

cal embodiment of my invention wherein the parts are combined andarranged according to one mode I have thus far devised for the practicalapplication of the principles of my invention.

Figure 1 is a sectional view of the sprinkler with the lid open and thehead in active position. Figure 2 is a topplan viewof the device withthe lid closed. F igure 3 is a sectional detail view showing theprojected sprinkler head and the opened closure, as seen from the rightor left in Figure 1. Figure 4; is a perspective view of the twopiece lidor closure. Figure 5 is a detail sectional view of the check valve inthe piston. Figure 6 is a detail sectional view showing the constructionof the two-piece lid.

The sprinkler, as shown in Figure 1, is fashioned with a'cylinder 1which at its lower end is provided with a collar 2 and attaching nipple3, the latter being adapted to receive the connection with theunderground water supply pipe. Above the cylinder is fashioned anintegral housing 4, also of cylindrical shape for convenience, and thehousing is fashioned with an exterior horizontal flange 5 which issituated flush with the ground level, or in position so that it will notinterfere with the operations of the lawn mower. The bottom 6 of thehousing forms a partition between the housing and the cylinder, and anair vent pipe 7 opening at its lower end in the cylinder is secured inthe partition and extends to the upper part of the housing, to vent theupper part of the cylinder.

The sprinkler head or nozzle 8 is threaded on the upper end of a tubularstem 9, which stem passes through a central opening 10 in the,partition, and at its lower end the stem is provided with a piston head11 fashioned with a packing gasket 12 and a check valve of the balltype, designated 13, to prevent accumulation of water in the cylinderabove the piston head. Between the lower 9 face of the partition and theupper face of the piston head, a spring 14 is coiled about the stem,which spring retracts the sprinkler head into its housing 4 in theabsence of water pressure from below that would pro ject the sprinklerhead. When the control valve is opened the water rises through nipple 3,thence into the lower end of the cylinder and against the lower face ofthe piston head, as well as into the stem. The stem and the piston headform a plunger that is lifted by the water pressure against the tensionof the spring 14, and the latter is compressed as the plunger is liftedto posi-' tion of Figures 1 and 3 where the head or nozzle is aboveground and in position to spray the water similar to a fountain orshower.

As the sprinkler head or nozzle and the stem or plunger rise, theyautomatically open the top closure of the housing before the head isprojected, or simultaneously with the projection of the head through theupper end of the housing. For this purpose a cross head 15 is rigidlymounted at the upper end of the stem just beneath the nozzle orsprinkler head, and this horizontal cross head is provided with spacedvertical perforated ears 16 and 17 in which the plates 18 and 19 of atwo-piece lid are pivoted. The plates, which are semi-circular in shapeand divided diametrically are provided with comparatively long arms 20,and 21, and these arms, at their ends are pivoted at 22 on the ears. Asbest seen in Figure 2, the circular lid is divided on a diametricalline, and the integral arms 20 and 21 of the semi-circular plates arelocated at opposite sides of the diametrical division line, therebyproviding each arm with a maximum weight which insures a maximumleverage on each arm. Thus, when the sprinkler head is elevated, theplates are spread apart, or made to fly open, and the weight of theplates at the extremities of the arms is instrumental in causing theplates to swing down to position on the flange 5 as indicated inFigure 1. In this position, as will be apparent, no part of the closurecan interfere with or obstructthe activities of the sprinkler head, andit is free to perform its functions.

The semi-circular edges of the lids or plates are beveled as at 23 tofit neatly in the beveled annular seat 24 at the top of the housing, andto assist the hydraulic pressure in opening the closed lids, orimparting to them their initial swinging motion, the straight edge ofeach plate is recessed as at 25 to form a central recess in theunderside of the circular closure, directly above the nozzle orsprinkler head, when the latter is in retracted position. Thus thestream of water issuing from the nozzle impinges against the recessedportions of the two-piece lid, thereby spreading the lids or causingthem to swing on their fulcrums, and then, by gravity the two-piececlosure is swung wide open as described.

Any leakage of water falling into the hous 5 ing is drained therefrom bymeans of outlets or drain ports 26 in the bottom of the housing, asindicated in Figure 1.

As shown by dotted lines in Figure 1, when the water is turned OK at thecontrol valve, not shown, the spring 14: expands to shove the pistonhead down in the cylinder, the stem is pulled downwardly, the nozzle 8is retracted in the housing, and the semi-circular plates are closed intheir beveled seat 24.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent is 1.. In a sprinkler of the hydraulicallyoperated type, the combination with a housing having a seat, areciprocable plunger, and a cross head on the plunger, of a two-piececlosure adapted to fit the seat and comprising a pair of complementaryplates, pivot arms on the plates, and said arms pivoted to the crosshead at opposite sides of the dividing line of the two-piece closure.

2. In a sprinkler of the hydraulically operated, spring-retracted type,the combination with a housing having a circular seat, a reciprocableplunger, and a cross head on the plunger, of a two-piece closure adaptedto fit the seat and comprising a pair of semi-circular plates providedwith a diametrical dividing line, an arm rigid with each plate, a pivotconnection between each arm and the cross head, said pivot connectionsbeing located at opposite sides of the dividing line.

3. In a two-piece closure for hydraulically operated sprinklers, thecombination with a plunger of a pair of arms pivotally connected withthe plunger, a plate rigid with each arm, and said pivotal connectionsbeing located at opposite sides of the two-piece closure.

l. In a sprinkler of the hydraulically operated, spring retracted type,the combination with a housing having an annular seat, of areciprocable, tubular plunger having a sprinkler head, a cross arm onthe plunger, a two-piece closure adapted to fit said seat, pivotalconnections between said closure and the plunger, and said closurehaving a recess directly above the sprinkler head against which a streamissuing from the head may impinge for opening the closure.

5. In a sprinkler of the hydraulically operated, spring retracted type,the combination with a housing having an annular seat, of a reciprocableplunger having a sprinkler head, and a cross arm on the plunger, a pairof semi-circular plates having beveled edges to fit said seat, saidplates having complementary diametrically arranged edges and recesses insaid edges located directly above the sprinkler head, pivot arms on saidplates, and pivotal connections between said arms and the cross arm atopposite sides of the diametricaledges.

In testimony whereof I alfix my signature.

JOHN HARFORD.

